Whether an organization’s objectives are purely financial or are altruistic or some combination of the two, the focus of most leaders leans to managing results – more sales, increased market share, higher ROI, faster turnaround time, and the like. Organizations primarily design systems with the intent of achieving specific results and select tools and processes to support those systems.
However, those things alone do not operate a business — People do.
People are the critical component that underlies everything in business. World class companies cannot sustain success without them. Companies rely on their people to stay innovative, adaptable, and productive in what is currently referred to as a VUCA world- an ever-changing, market-shifting global economy. I often make the analogy that leading in a VUCA world is like navigating a raft in permanent ‘whitewater.’ There is no smooth sailing, or floating as it may be. There is a relentless, constant and persistent pressure to keep your company on a successful course.
Every day companies and leaders face challenges and opportunities that require asking people to think, feel, or act differently in support of business goals.
That’s where I come in.
I focus on the people side of the business. Moreover, I know how to align a people strategy to your business strategy. Too often referred to by many as the “soft- skills”; I prefer to think of those skills as critical skills. As Tom Peters was wont to say ‘soft is hard, hard is soft’ and the soft is the hardest for companies to get right — leadership, communication, transition/change, culture, trust, organizational effectiveness, talent management, and employee engagement.